Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams has conferred the Governor General’s Faithful and Meritorious Award’s highest honour, the Cross and Plaque, upon Vice-Chancellor of The University of the West Indies Professor Sir Hilary Beckles.
The Award recognises Vice-Chancellor Beckles’ 40 years of distinguished service to The UWI and the Caribbean.
Sir Rodney described Professor Sir Hilary Beckles as “a giant of a Caribbean man who has a passion for people, a passion for progress, a passion for productivity and a passion for preserving the past treasures of the region”.
The Governor-General also shared that the honour was not only well deserved, but timely since the Vice-Chancellor’s 40 years of distinguished service at the UWI coincided with the celebration of Antigua and Barbuda’s 40th anniversary of political independence.
In his response, Vice-Chancellor Beckles expressed his profound gratitude to the Governor-General for the honour and also shared that divine intervention, the influence of his parents, mentors and his hard-working team at The UWI have all contributed to making him the West Indian man he is today.
